Systematic Review Protocols and Protocol Registries

Systematic Review Protocols

• a good systematic review can start with a protocol - it can serve as a road map for your review
• a protocol specifies the objectives, methods, and outcomes of primary interest of the systematic review
• a protocol promotes transparency of methods
• allows your peers to review how you will extract information to quantitavely summarize your outcome data

About Systematic Review Protocol Registries

• Various protocol registries exists
• Anyone can register their protocol
• Registering your protocol is helpful to establish that your group is doing this review
• Registering increases potential communication with interested researchers
• Registering may reduce the risk of multiple reviews addressing the same question
• Registering may provide greater transparency when updating a systematic review

Protocol Reporting Guidelines

• MECIR (Methodological Expectations for Cochrane Intervention Reviews) Manual - guidelines on reporting protocols for Cochrane Intervention reviews
• PRISMA-P  - (PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews) for systematic review protocols

Systematic Review/Protocol Registries

• Campbell Collaboration - produces systematic reviews of the effects of social interventions
• Cochrane Collaboration - international organization, produces and disseminates systematic reviews of health care interventions
• PROSPERO -international prospective register of systematic reviews